The present invention relates to pneumatic cleaning of carding machines, and more particularly to a manifold apparatus for the bottom region of a carding machine.
The escape of waste and trash from a carding machine can be classified as exterior and interior. The major exterior escape locations are the so-called lickerin region and the so-called doffer region. The major interior escape location is the space enclosed by the chassis of the carding machine and will be referred to as the bottom region.
Examples of the pneumatic cleaning equipment for use adjacent the lickerin region of the carding machine are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,315,320, 3,707,020 and 3,678,538. Examples of pneumatic cleaning equipment for use adjacent the doffer region of the carding machine are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,604,061, 3,387,337 and 3,357,062.
Typically, the lickerin and doffer plenums capture waste and trash by suction provided through a central ducting system for a number of carding machines with central waste separation. Disadvantages to this mode of operation include a single use of the air, a high pressure central ducting system, and inability to segregate waste from a particular carding machine.